News
New article by SHOC member Claudia Pelgrims
What does solidarity really mean when words and actions do not line up? And how far does solidarity go once political interests and international relations enter the picture?
VACANCY: DOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN HISTORY
We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate for the Research Foundation Flanders FWO-funded PhD project ‘The international politics of the household. American home economists and the reconstruction of Belgium and France (1918-1925)’ under the supervision of prof. dr. Nel de Mûelenaere.
Call for papers: Premodern State Formation: New Themes and Directions
Premodern State Formation: New Themes and Directions Organised by: Klaas Van Gelder (Brussels) & Hannes Ziegler (Dresden) Date: 20.-21.5.2027 Place: Dresden University of Technology Late medieval an...
Reblication of “Non-Nationals between Belonging and Removal: Urban Practices of Policies towards Foreigners, Antwerp c. 1830–1880.” by SHOC member Anne Winter and Ellen Debackere
SHOC is happy to announce the republication of SHOC member Anne Winter's and Ellen Debackere's article, entitled “Non-Nationals between Belonging and Removal: Urban Practices of Policies towards Foreigners, Antwerp c.
SHOC colleague Charlotte Van Riet presents at the Radiocarbon & Diet Conference in Santiago, Chile
Early July, SHOC colleague Charlotte Van Riet attended the Radiocarbon & Diet Conference in Santiago, Chile, held at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile .
From Book Launch to Prize Winner: Congratulations, John Latham-Sprinkle!
Ten months ago, we proudly launched The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240 , John Latham-Sprinkle’s groundbreaking study of a little-known medieval kingdom. 📖 Today, we are delighted to celebrate another remarkable achievement: John has been awarded the Royal Historical Socie...
From Lisbon with medieval perspectives!
SHOC members John Latham‑Sprinkle and Imma Petito recently took part in Small Worlds, Big Worlds: Medieval Mediterranean Perspectives , organised by the Society for the Medieval Mediterranean (SMM).
Class and gender at the ballot box: revisiting the 1961 Belgian elections
Why did an experienced female politician lose her place on the electoral list? And what role did class and gender play in that decision?
SHOC members William Torbeyns and Bart Lambert together with Jelle Haemers (KU Leuven): on migrants from the Low Countries in Florence
Medici Florence was a magnet for craftsmanship from the Low Countries Yesterday, Belgian newspaper De Standaard featured the migration research of SHOC members William Torbeyns and Bart Lambert, together with KU Leuven colleague Jelle Haemers.
SHOC @ wOnderland in Ypres Museum
Last Friday, many SHOC members attended the opening of wOnderland in Ieper.
Bart Lambert in podcast "Contagions – une histoire des épidémies": on the plague in Sint-Truiden
Our second podcast featuring Bart Lambert is a treat especially for our French‑speaking followers-but it’s just as fascinating for anyone interested in the historical impact of pandemics!
SHOC colleague Bart Lambert on The English Heritage podcast
Get ready for the Big Bart Lambert Podcast Weekend! Over the next few days, we’re excited to share not one but two brand-new podcast episodes featuring SHOC colleague Bart Lambert. First up: a fresh episode from the English Heritage podcast—the charity that cares for hundreds of his...
SHOC member Imma Petito defends PhD
On Wednesday 10 June, Imma Petito successfully defended her PhD on the relations between the Kingdom of England and Italian polities in the later Middle Ages.
SHOC-member Leonie Vanlerberghe leads workshop on Gender in Personal documents
SHOC member Leonie Vanlerberghe recently led an engaging workshop on “Gender in Personal Documents” at the Spring Conference of the Royal Netherlands Historical Society (KNHG), together with Stefan Kras (history teacher and PhD researcher) and Jessie Baerts (Master student Gender and Diversity Ghen...
VACANCY DOCOTRAL RESEARCHER: FLOWS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR. URBAN-ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIES OF LABOUR, MATERIALS, AND MONEY
We are looking for 2 doctoral candidates to conduct research on the Brussels construction sector as a nexus of labour, materials, and capital, from the nineteenth century to the present.
SHOC celebrates third birthday with lecture by Andreas Malm
Last Tuesday, 19 May, SHOC celebrated its third anniversary with an inspiring lecture by Prof. Andreas Malm (Lund University).
SHOC team wins VUB staff quiz!
Quiz champions! Once again, our SHOC members showed they’re experts in more than just history at the annual VUB staff quiz.
TVO students present their posters on Faculty research day
On 26 May, the Faculty Research Day @VUB brought together PhD students from the Faculty of Languages and Humanities for a full day of exchange, inspiration and academic discovery. It was a great opportunity to connect with fellow researchers and explore each other’s work.
New article by SHOC member Brent Huygh
SHOC member Brent Huygh has published his first academic article, titled "Commercialisation from below: the Brussels gateway roads in the eighteenth century", in the History of Retailing and Consumption. Click here to read the publication. Abstract During the early modern per...
Call for Papers: People on the Move in Late Medieval Europe
SHOC member Bart Lambert is guest editing a special issue of the peer‑reviewed, Web of Science–indexed journal Histories on late medieval human mobility.-
Vacancy: Doctoral Researcher in the History of Midwifery
1 – Working at Vrije Universiteit Brussel For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 
Foragency's second podcast series: The Foragers: Engagements beyond the Human
Following the success of the podcast series ‘Introducing Foraging: a podcast in environmental humanities ’, which ran from 25 November 2024 to 16 December 2024, the team behind the Foragency project is delighted to announce a new podcast series, which will run for the next four weeks.
'Wereldsteden van de Lage Landen: Stadsgeschiedenis van Nederland en België' nominated for the Kleio Class Prize 2026!
In March 2025, the book “World Cities of the Low Countries: Urban History of the Netherlands and Belgium” was published, in which various authors, including SHOC historians Anne Winter and Klaas Van Gelder, wrote about fifty cities that were pre-eminently world cities.
Portrait of SHOC colleague Nel de Mûelenaere in the exhibition “Women shaping Science”
Female scientists make a difference every day — in research, policy and society. With “Women Shaping Science”, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is putting them in the spotlight through a powerful photo exhibition.
Among Fellows and Footnotes: Bart Lambert in Cambridge
From January to April, our colleague Bart Lambert is a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge — one of Cambridge’s institutes for advanced study, dedicated to supporting postgraduate researchers and international scholars.
Registration for the international conference 'Studying Non-Elites in the Medieval Caucasus' is now open!
The SHOC Research Group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in association with the Medieval Caucasus Network and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, is happy to announce that registration for the international conference 'Studying Non-Elites in the Medieval Caucasus' is open.
New article by SHOC member Rein Vander Hulst!
Another publication, another reason for SHOC to be proud—congratulations to Rein Vander Hulst! Rein has recently published a new article "Military Justice in the Field: Law, Order and Violence in the Prosecutors’ Archives of Belgian Colonial Troops at ‘War’".
SHOC welcomes new PhD student Jens Van Mieghem!
Jens studied History at Ghent University (2025), with a focus on the Early Modern period. He wrote his Master’s thesis on local police regulations in Ghent in 1581-87, during and after the Calvinist Republic of Ghent.
SHOC member Bob Pierik wins the Prof. Van Winter Award 2025 for best local or regional history book in the Netherlands.
On Thursday 22 January, the Prof. Van Winterprijs 2025 was awarded to SHOC member Bob Pierik during the Award Day of the Koninklijk Nederlands Historisch Genootschap in Utrecht.
Call for sessions/papers & workshops: Ctrl-Alt-History – (Digital)Humanities meets AI
On 29 April 2026, the Belgian Association for Contemporary History (BVNG-ABHC) organises the Dag van de Nieuwste Geschiedenis – Journée de l’Histoire Contemporaine, in collaboration with the University of Antwerp .
New FORAGENCY publication by SHOC member Thijs Costers: “Banana beer in Belgian Burundi: a social metabolist history of intoxication (1916–1962)”
New FORAGENCY publication: “Banana beer in Belgian Burundi: a social metabolist history of intoxication (1916–1962)” In this exciting open access paper published in the Journal of Eastern African Studies , FORAGENCY PhD candidate Thijs Costers traces the ways in which colon...
Three new FWO projects for SHOC!
We’re thrilled to announce that three members of the SHOC research group have secured funding in this year’s FWO/Research Foundation–Flanders project competition.
New SHOC member: Lieke Bes!
Lieke studied Archaeological Science at Leiden University (Netherlands), with a specialisation in osteoarchaeology and isotope analysis of human remains. For her MSc thesis, she investigated diet at the late to post-Medieval village of Koudekerke in Zeeland (NL) through stable isotope analysis.
New publication by SHOC member Jolien Gijbels and Chanelle Delameillieure
Consent: A history of coercion and free will and everything in between 'No means no', we say. But does yes always mean yes? Consent seems obvious, but remains a difficult concept to grasp.
SHOC member William Torbeyns on research stay in Bologna
Since November, SHOC researcher William Torbeyns has been in Bologna for a three-month international research stay.-
Vacancy: Postdoctoral Researcher on the Social History of Capitalism (12th-20th centuries)
Postdoctoral Researcher on the Social History of Capitalism (12th-20th centuries) Category: Academic Staff & Researchers 1 - Working at the VUB For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, a... 
PhD student Leonie Vanlerberghe joins SHOC!
Introducing Leonie: Uncovering Resistance to Women in Belgian Politics We’re excited to welcome Leonie as she begins her PhD journey exploring the opposition faced by female politicians in twentieth-century Belgium.
New publication by SHOC member Imma Petito
In her latest article for Diplomatica , SHOC member Imma Petito (joint PhD VUB-Università di Salerno) uncovers the dynamic strategies behind Anglo-Neapolitan diplomacy in the late Middle Ages.
SHOC member Vicky Vanruysseveldt successfully defends her PhD thesis
On Tuesday 21 October, Vicky Vanruysseveldt successfully defended her PhD, On the Road with Entertainment, under the supervision of SHOC member Anne Winter. Her research sheds light on the income strategies and mobility of itinerant entertainers in Brabant between 1750 and 1914.
New publication by SHOC member Bob Pierik
In a new article in Dutch titled ‘Bomen en palen aan de kust van vroegmodern Amsterdam.
Historians by Day, Snipers by Night
Last Monday, our research group kicked off the week with an exhilarating team-building adventure! Right after work, we headed to Space Laser Games in Etterbeek for an intense round of laser tag.
SHOC op de diploma-uitreiking van de VUB!
Afgelopen maandag namen verschillende leden van de SHOC-onderzoeksgroep deel aan de diploma-uitreiking van de VUB op de iconische Grote Markt in Brussel.
New chapter begins: Make-Up of the City becomes Make-Up of the Cities!
Building on the success of the Make-Up of the City project , SHOC members Bart Lambert, Patxi Perez Ramallo and Charlotte Van Riet, alongside colleagues from other VUB research groups, now launch the next phase in their interdisciplinary exploration of Flanders’ medieval urban past, Make-Up of the...
SHOC member Ward Leloup wins paleography contest
On 4 October, 41 palaeographers from Flanders and the Netherlands gathered in St-Truiden for the finals of the Wat Staat Daer? Palaeography Contest. After a tough online preselection, the finalists faced the challenge of transcribing three texts from the 14th, 16th and 17th centuries.
SHOC members Brent Huygh and William Torbeyns secure PhD funding
SHOC did very well in this year’s FWO PhD funding competition ! Congratulations to Brent Huygh and William Torbeyns, who both secured funding for their doctoral research.
Lukas Van Oost starts at SHOC
Lukas (b. 2000) studied History at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2022–2025) and Art History at Ghent University (2018–2022). His research centers on the colonial history of Central Africa.
VACANCY: PhD researcher at the VUB (Social History of Capitalism research group) and Ghent University (History Department)
VACANCY for a doctoral researcher at the VUB (Social History of Capitalism research group) and Ghent University (History Department) in the FWO project “Blaming and Shaming by Ordinary Villagers: Rural Perspectives on Social Control in Flanders, c. 1400–1600”.
Hora est: Drs Wink becomes Dr Wink!
On Monday, 22 September, our colleague Jurriaan Wink successfully defended his PhD in Amsterdam.
We're thrilled to welcome Nel de Mûelenaere as the newest member of our research group
Nel de Mûelenaere is Associate Professor of Contemporary History, holder of the chair Traces of Resistance , and head of the VUB history program. Her research focuses on the lived experience of the two World Wars in Belgium.
Axel joins SHOC’s TvO team!
We’re pleased to announce that, starting in September 2025, Axel Van der Maelen will be joining SHOC as a TvO student.
New chapter ahead: Mathijs Speecke joins SHOC!
As of 1 October, Mathijs Speecke (°1993, Roeselare) joins SHOC as a postdoctoral researcher.
Welcome, TVO student Arne Vinck!
Arne Vinck (°1994) is joining SHOC as a Talent-for-Research student. He obtained his Bachelor in Education (Secondary Education Dutch and History) at Arteveldehogeschool Gent in 2017.
Introducing The Foragers, an arts and science crossover
We are proud to introduce The Foragers: Engagements Beyond the Human , a series of talks, screenings and an exhibition building bridges between arts and sciences.
Meet Rhea Mertes, our new SHOC researcher!
Rhea Mertes obtained a Master’s degree in History at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in 2025. During these studies, she developed a particular interest in social mobility in the late middle ages.
Noémi Tomaszynski joins SHOC as a Talent for Research Student!
Noémi began her studies in History at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in 2022. Her academic interests include socio-economic and migration history, with a particular focus on the Middle Ages.
New article by SHOC member Bas Spliet and Anne E. C. McCants
In a new article in Economic History Review , Centre for Urban History and SHOC researcher Bas Spliet and Anne McCants measure the cost of the early modern consumer revolution.
Bob Pierik joins SHOC!
As of 1 September, Bob Pierik will join VUB and the SHOC research group as an assistant professor of early modern history. Bob's research focuses on the history of everyday life and urban space.
New article by SHOC member Wout Saelens
Smoky, dirty, unhealthy. That is how peat and coal were long perceived in the early modern period. So why did households start bringing them home, just as ideals of cleanliness and health were gaining ground?
Daan Huysman joins SHOC as a TVO student!
From September 2025, Daan Huysman will be part of SHOC as a TVO student. Daan started his studies in History at the VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) in 2023.
Conference Call for Papers- 'Studying Non-Elites in the Medieval Caucasus'
It is with great pleasure that we announce the Call for Papers for the First International Conference of the Medieval Caucasus Network, entitled 'Studying Non-Elites in the Medieval Caucasus'. This will take place at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Brussels, Belgium, on March 13th-14th 2026.
Events
Practical info23/01/2026 - 09:30 - 23/01/2026 - 12:30SHOC colleague Reinout Vander Hulst on Missionaries in Congo
This Friday, 23 January 2026, SHOC colleague Reinout Vander Hulst will give a presentation entitled "Missionaries and Violence", which is taking place as part of a series of lectures organised by MoSa and KADOC, focusing on the history of Protestant and Catholic missionaries in colonial and postc
Practical info11/02/2026 - 19:00 - 11/02/2026 - 20:45The Foragers #4 - Film Screening: Neptune Frost (2021)
Practical info16/02/2026 - 10:30 - 16/02/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Stephan Strunz
Air, Alleys, and Affection: The Politics of the Housing Survey between Basel, Liège, and Berlin
This paper traces the emergence, circulation, and transformation of a survey method that gained prominence at the end of the nineteenth century through the interplay between the Belgian traditi
Practical info25/02/2026 - 17:00 - 25/02/2026 - 19:30Book launch with SHOC member Jolien Gijbels - Consent: A history of coercion and free will and everything in between
It was only a few weeks ago that SHOC had the honour of presenting the new publication of "Consent:
Practical info09/03/2026 - 10:30 - 09/03/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Thomas Rommel (Vrije Universiteit Brussel - CLIC)
Intertextuality and The Wealth of Nations : Contextualizing Adam Smith
In 1776 Adam Smith, the by-then famous author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments
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Practical info13/03/2026 - 09:00 - 14/03/2026 - 21:00
First International Conference of the Medieval Caucasus Network: Studying Non-Elites in the Medieval Caucasus
Practical info23/03/2026 - 10:30 - 23/03/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Hannes Ziegler (Technische Universität Dresden)
What was the State? Officiating and Litigating in Early Modern England
Research into early modern state-building has developed quite a bit over the past decades, lending more depth and complexity to such processes.
Practical info31/03/2026 - 18:00 - 31/03/2026 - 20:00Art effects: sensory education in uncertain times
South African professor Premesh Lalu gives a lecture about The Herds, a groundbreaking public art and climate initiative designed to inspire action and renew our bond with the natural world.
Practical info27/04/2026 - 10:30 - 27/04/2026 - 12:00SHOC seminar with Katja Bruisch (Trinity College Dublin)
Burning Swamps: Peat and the Forgotten Margins of Russia’s Fossil Economy
What happens if we tell the history of the planetary emergency from the margins?
Practical info19/05/2026 - 18:00 - 19/05/2026 - 20:00Lecture by Prof. Dr. Andreas Malm (Lund University): "The Political Ecology of Charlemagne – Or, What, If Anything, Is Special about Capitalism?"
